Florida Citrus On Pace To Meet Forecasts From USDA, Orange Harvest Up Over 70-Percent From 2017

projecting 6.4 million boxes of Florida Grapefruit in the 2018-2019 season

Florida citrus is hitting all the marks to meet the forecasts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

FLORIDA (SUNSHINE STATE NEWS) – Florida citrus is hitting all the marks to meet the forecasts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which is run by the USDA, released its latest forecast on Tuesday.

While Florida orange production is considerably higher than last year when it was devastated by Hurricane Irma, the forecast is lower than most of the production of the past two decades as Florida continues to struggle with citrus greening.

“The United States all orange forecast for the 2018-2019 season is 5.53 million tons, unchanged from last month but up 41 percent from the 2017-2018 final utilization,” the USDA noted.

“The Florida all orange forecast, at 77.0 million boxes (3.47 million tons), is unchanged from last month but up 71 percent from last season’s final utilization. Early, midseason, and Navel varieties in Florida are forecast at 32.0 million boxes (1.44 million tons), unchanged from last month but up 69 percent from last season’s final utilization. The Florida Valencia orange forecast, at 45.0 million boxes (2.03 million tons), is unchanged from last month but up 73 percent from last season’s final utilization. California and Texas orange production forecasts were carried forward from the previous month.”